Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Destiny
by DarkZorro13
Summary: Awakening as a Zorua, a once human Chris ventures out in the Pokemon world to get back to his home. Will he be able to return, or will he stay this way forever? Read on to find out! (FIRST STORY!)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello this is DarkZorro13 and this is my first story (yay) and I'm just starting to get into writing ... Anyway, i don't really know what to say besides that I don't own pokemon. More info will be at the bottom. So let's get started, shall we? **

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Chapter 1: Arrival

I awoke blurry-eyed to a light blue sky. It was decently warm, tepid even. I lay in the sunlight for what seemed like forever. That was when I started being poked by something standing over my limp and ragged body.

"Hey, wake up. You okay down there?"

The voice was feminine. I rolled over in pain to get a look at the creature that disrupted my rest.

"Ugh" I groaned. "Who are you, and what do you want from me?"

"Well, you don't always find a Pokemon passed out on the ground on a everyday basis."

I snapped my eyes open to find a green creature staring at me. It was snake-like in appearance, yet it had short, green legs and long, slender arms. It had a tail that spread out at the end, its three points looking like giant leaves. The creature's underbelly was a pale, cream-like color, and it had yellow accents in various places along its thin body. I recognized it almost instantaneously: it was a Snivy.

"AH! You're a Snivy!"

The snake responded. "Always have been, and will be for quite some time."

"B-but Pokemon doesn't exist!" I reasoned.

The creature rolled its eyes "A Zorua that doesn't think that Pokemon exist. Haven't seen _that_ before."

That phrase felt like a punch to the gut. I started to speak.

"What are you talking abou-" I looked at myself and gasped. Instead of a human hand, I saw a red paw connected to a black arm. I looked over my shoulder and what do I find? A tail, also black, was swishing back and forth like a tree in the breeze. My back legs are the same as my front; black tipped with red at their extremities.

"What? I'm a.. No, this can't be right... How the... WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!"

The Snivy just sighed. "Wow, you _are_ crazy."

"No! You don't understand! I used to be human! Then I blacked out and now I'm... I'm a Zorua!" Then I started to notice the other things. I was in a forest, surrounded by trees of many colors, due to the late season it was. Also, before this sudden transformation, I used to wear glasses that helped only a little, (my vision being almost perfect), but now without them , my vision was perfect.

"I must be crazy, unless..." Just to make sure it wasn't a dream, I bashed my paw into a nearby rock. It exploded with pain. "OW!" I jumped around shaking my paw, trying to mitigate the pain. "Nope, not a dream. Not a dream at all. Ow, man that hurts!"

"Are... you okay?" the voice seemed to be distant.

Suddenly, I shifted into panic mode, speaking in a frantic pace.

"Wh..What am I going to do now?, how am I going to get back?, where do I go?"

The Snivy spoke up "Hey, hey, don't panic on me now. Just, try and clam down a little.

I slumped on the ground. I gave up on trying to stand. Pessimism spread to my words

"What's the use? It's hopeless; I'm never gonna get back home. I'll have to be like this forever." I looked at myself and I almost started crying, but I held back the tears.

She ran up and sat down next to me. "No, no. It's not hopeless, and you'll get back, one way or another. At least as long as I'm here." She smiled at me, and instilled a new sense of hope. In a few minutes, I was back to my somewhat-normal self.

"Alright, we need to get down to business. You don't mind if I ask you a few questions, do you?"

Since I was in this new world, I might as well make the most of it. "I don't see why not."

"Okay. Right, first question: What's you name?"

The question was simple, but yet I struggled a little before it came into my head. "Chris."

She quickly spoke to her self before continuing ."Chris, got it. Okay then, next question: How did you get here?

I though hard as I tried to remember how I had arrived in this strange new world. "Well...um... let's see... "

She kept her gaze on me.

"I... uh.., I can't remember."

The Snivy wasn't satisfied. "So you don't have a clue, not one bit of information?"

"Nope."

"Okay, we're done. In my expert opinion, since you seemed to have some trouble with something as basic as your name, I think you've got a bad case of amnesia."

I sighed. "It seems so."

She looked up at the sky and suddenly started pulling me off the ground. "Get up, come on, we need to get back to the guild before sundown."

I looked at her with a puzzled face. "The what?"

"Follow me."

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**Hi guys. So, I'll update this when I can, possibly on a daily basis, maybe every weekend. But anyway, fell free to comment and review and give me advice, because I'm new to writing stories, so with that, I'll see you guys next time, DarkZorro13 out.**

**(jumps out a window)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Journey Forth

As we started walking back towards the aforementioned guild, I started to take a closer look at my surroundings. It was early to mid autumn, and most of the leaves had already fallen from the trees that were once their source of life. Some trees, though, still had their bright colors that they were known for; rich shades of red, yellow, and even a deep green on occasion. We moved a little further with an air of silence. I broke it.

"So, where are we going again?" I had followed the green creature without question, like a son following his mother.

"We're heading to the guild, like I told you before. It's run by a Garchomp who set it up many years ago. Hopefully we get there before night comes, 'cause it's a long walk to get there."

I nodded as I took in the information. Garchomp is a dual-type Pokémon, its types being Ground and Dragon. Since he set up the guild years ago, he must have an extensive knowledge on, well, how to be a Pokémon. Then I realized another fact about myself: my knowledge of Pokémon had remained intact somehow through the transformation.

"I'm sorry, I never caught your name." I stated. "What is it?"

She stopped walking.

"My name is Lexi. It's short for Alexis. Pleasure to meet you,... Chris, right?"

"Yep, that's me." She held out her hand and I shook it, trying not to fall over in the process, due to my new, four-legged state. We continued walking towards our destination. As we continued walking, I though back to what exactly I knew. After searching my head, it seemed I still knew two things: my name, and the aforementioned various facts about Pokémon. I decided to keep that knowledge secret, at least for now.

As we walked along, I noticed a scarf around Lexi's neck that I hadn't seen before. It was yellow, like the accents that covered her, and it seemed to be made out of a light, smooth material. At least, it looked that way.

"Hey, that scarf you have around your neck, what's it for?" I questioned. "I'm guessing that you're a member of the guild you mentioned earlier."

"Oh, this? Yeah, this is for my rescue team that I set up with my friends about a year ago. Our team name is Team Legacy. I came up with the name." She threw in a smile of pride before it diminished slowly. One part of her response intrigued me. I felt the need to know more.

"Okay. But, what's a rescue team?" I bet she thought I was a complete and utter moron. Then again, I had, technically, been reborn today in this world, so I was clueless.

"To put it simply, we're basically the guys who do everything we can to keep this world at peace for as long as possible. I'll get into more detail when tomorrow rolls around."

"Alright. So where are we?"

"We're in the middle of Lostlorn Forest. I was our gathering berries when I saw you just passed out in the middle of a clearing."

We marched on. "So when will we get there?"

"In about a half hour, maybe an hour at the mo-" She cut her sentence short.

"Wait, what's happen-" She hushes me so that I was completely silent. There was a long pause. Suddenly, a wild Pokémon appeared. It was basically a giant butterfly with big wings that were decorated in a pattern similar to the forest around us. I was barely able to distinguish what it was before Lexi shoved my behind her. It was a Vivillon.

"Get back!" She shouted as she started whipping up a tornado of leaves that appeared out of nowhere. She then blasted the leaves at our attacker and it inflicted serious damage. She then charged at the beast, tackling it, which fainted after the final blow.

"We better hurry, the sun's starting to set. And I know no one wants to get stuck in a forest at night filled with Pokémon ready to attack you at any moment."

She was right. We hurried along the worn, brown path that lead to our destination, hopeful to reach it before nightfall.

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**So, I've decided to update this story daily, at least until the indoor track season starts, which is a few weeks away (I'll expand on that later). But anyway, feel free to review this story and I'll see you guys in the next chapter. DZ13 out, p**eace.****


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The City of Rolling Hills

It seemed like we had walked a hundred miles. Medium gray clouds had covered the luscious green forest like a giant, natural blanket. After all the walking (and bits of fighting)we did, we finally reached the place we were looking for.

Lexi turned around a spread her arms out wide. I was about to question what she was doing, but she interrupted my thoughts.

"Welcome...to Verdanturf Town." She smiled as I brushed past her to take in my new surroundings.

The town was expansive, to say the least. Its rolling hills seemed to last for miles, covering much of the surrounding are with fresh, tall grass. Another significant feature was a colossal mountain, where there was a large cave opening, leading to some unknown site. Buildings were scattered across the town, varying in size, some only one floor, some with a multitude of stories, looming over the others like giants. It was almost too big to be considered a town. There was a hospital, a central meeting place, and even a few restaurants. Then I noticed a large, dome-shaped structure in the heart of the town. This must be the guild that Lexi was describing before.

"Wow. This place is...huge."

I had no other words to describe the massive establishment. I looked towards the dome. "Is that it?"

She followed my gaze. "Yep, that's it. _The_ one and only Garchomp's Guild. This is where my team is stationed, as well as the other teams under Garchomp's division."

I looked at her, slightly confused, but mostly curious.

"Division? You mean there's more than one?"

She pondered the question for a moment, then answered.

"If I remember correctly, there are 5 divisions, each run by a different leader to make sure we are responsible for keeping the peace. Our division is to the west, with 4 others, one to the east, two to the north and south, and the head division right in the middle of the region."

"Oh, okay. You know, we should probably get going now."

"Right. Onto the task at hand; we need to introduce you to the Guildmaster. C'mon."

I almost froze with fear. Being put face-to-face with a six-foot tall dragon isn't the most comforting of thoughts. Lexi had already started walking towards the guild when I started to follow her hesitantly.

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As we entered the guild (finally), Lexi immediately started to give a quick tour of the main rooms. There were two tunnels branching out from our current location to the left and right. The room we were in was large and had a stage set in the middle. Three more tunnels were carved out next to the stage: one to the left and two off to the right. The opening to the left was a solitary door.

"So this is the Grand Room, where announcements are made and assignments are given to all of the teams." Lexi explained as we walked through a room similar to an auditorium with a collection of tables spread out across the room. "On each side are the rooms reserved for the rescue teams. Each teams has their own room and can be decorated with items bought with the money they collect of find during missions."

"The two paths to the right are the mess hall and the observation room, but I'll explain those tomorrow." It seemed like a lot would come tomorrow, so I had to prepare. But for now, I had to face the challenge ahead of me.

"I bet you'll never guess what that room is over there." She pointed towards the solitary door and smiled. Next to the door was a small plaque that read:

Guildmaster's Office  
Come in for advice and counseling, or bring in  
new members to have them register.  
Open 24/7

"We're going in there aren't we?"

"Yep."

I braced myself for whatever was to come as Lexi opened the door.

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**I'm sorry guys, but I have to leave it here for now. As I mentioned in the last author's notes, the indoor track season will be starting soon, so updates might not come as often. So, how about the story? This story will basically be a giant mash-up of all the main series games and the PMD series games. But, anyway feel free to like, follow, and send a review, and I'll see you guys in the next one. DZ13 out.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys sorry I didn't update sooner, but I had some intense math homework with inverse matrices (uggh) last night. I may not update later today because I have to go to the states meet for my brother's cross-country team (GO DXC!) and help out at my church's spaghetti dinner, which goes till late tonight (I think). Anyway, here's the next chapter wooooo...**

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Chapter 4: The Guildmaster

Lexi opened the door slowly at first, to check to see if no one was in a meeting with the Guildmaster. Once it was all clear, she swung the door open.

The room was well furnished, with a long green couch in front of a dark-stained wooden desk. On the walls, there were pictures of what I would imply to be the other teams stationed under the Guildmaster. Each picture had a caption embedded on a small metal plate, describing an event, the teams involved, and the date. Some were taken many years prior, but some were taken quite recently, the newest being one taken about 4 or 5 days ago. Today was the 7th (as far as I could remember) of November. 'How ironic', I began to think, 'that for some 7 is considered a lucky number.' Then I saw him; the leader, the boss, the head honcho: Garchomp. He was facing us, yet he was working on something on his desk. To his back was a giant mural of all the known Dragon types. It was beautiful.

"Hello, Guildmaster." Lexi greeted the head of the guild like an old friend, as if she had known him forever.

He looked up at us. "Ah, well if it isn't Alexis, leader of Team Legacy. I'm glad to see you. Come, make yourself at home." The Guildmaster was very calm, his voice inviting us in like his own family. Yet, I didn't know if he even _had_ a family, so I just walked in the room slowly and silently behind Lexi.

She gave him a quick, angry look, then it diminished as quickly as it appeared. 'She must not like her full name either' I thought. 'Well, that's one thing we have in common.'

"Garchomp, this is my new.. friend." She hesitiated at the word, thinking of something to call me in front of him.

"Why hello there, young one. Who are you?"

I introduced myself."My name is Chris. I just got here today."

"Really? Well, where are you from?"

I froze in fear. I didn't want him to freak out over the fact I was human. Luckily, Lexi saw me panicking, so she took over.

"Um..yeah. Interesting story about that. Chris, why don't you explain how you got here?"

Or not.

Garchomp leaned forward in his chair.

"Uhhh... okay, might as well." I jumped on the couch and sat down. I took a deep breath in and then I began to explain.

"So, I... might, not really, be from this world. In fact, earlier today, I was a human. I was walking through the woods when I suddenly I blacked out and was somehow transported here and awoke, as you can see, as a Zorua. I don't remember much about myself, though I do remember an insane amount about your world, interestingly enough. Then Lexi arrived and took me here, and now, well, here we are."

"Well, fortunately, you aren't the only human to go through something like this, but it hasn't happened for quite some time. The last one I remember was...oh, about fourteen years ago."

I was surprised with the fact that I wasn't the only one to go through something like this. He continued.

"I also have two other things. First, why are your eyes that green color? I swear that Zoruas have light blue eyes."

I looked at him, confused at his question. He started to rummage through his desk and pulled out a mirror. He walked out from behind the desk, and I realized how tall he actually was. Even if I had evolved, I would still be a foot shorter than him. He put it down on the table in front of me, and I stared into my reflection. I gasped as I realized that his words were true. My eyes were a grayish-green color, instead of the light and bright blue I knew both Zoruas and their evolutions were known for.

"My..my eyes didn't change. This was the color of my eyes before I became a Zorua."

Garchomp was now much more intrigued. "That's interesting. I guess that when a human turns into a Pokémon, they sometimes keep a key physical feature. Hm. Anyway, to my second thought. You said that you retained your knowledge of Pokémon when you arrived. Is this correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you mind if we test that knowledge?"

"Not at all, sir."

"Okay then, how many types are there?"

"18."

"How many known Pokémon are there?"

"718."

Realizing how quick I was to answer his questions, he moved on to more specific questions.

"What 3 Pokémon make up the Creation Trio?"

"Diagla, Palkia and Giratina."

"Is there a Bug type legendary?"

"Yes."

"Who is..."

"Genesect."

"What are Choice Items?"

"Choice Items are items that increase a certain stat of any Pokémon by 50%, but limit it to using the first moves it selects. The 3 Choice Items are the Choice Band, which increase Attack, Specs that increase Special Attack, and Scarf, which increases Speed."

"Do I have a Mega Evolution?"

"Yes."

"What region are we in?"

This question was one I didn't know. "Um... I don't know sir."

"That's interesting. Okay, we're done now."

Even though I didn't know anything about this specific world, it seemed that Garchomp and Lexi were astounded by how much I knew about their world, even though I had just arrived today.

"Wow. You do know a lot about Pokémon, yet it seems you don't know a much about this world specifically, um... what was your name again?"

"Chris."

"Well, Chris, you can stay with Team Legacy for tonight. Actually, you could join this guild if I could just...find...the..paperwork.. Ah! Here it is."

After thoroughly searching his desk he found a piece of paper, held it triumphantly, then walked over and gave it to me. Along with that he gave me a pen.

"You okay if I join your team?" I turned to look at the Snivy that was eyeing the paper in front of me.

"No, I would _never_ allow you on my team." Her sarcasm was so thick that you could cut it with a Slash.

I came back to the paper. I looked at the pen and tried to pick it up, but to no avail. Lexi covered up a laugh, and I shot a glare at her. Turning back around, I held the pen down with one paw, clicked it with the other, then put it in my mouth.

"There." With the pen in my mouth, though, it was indecipherable

I quickly skimmed over the document, looking for anything that stood out, and when nothing did, I filled out the requirements

Name: Chris  
Gender: Male  
Species: Zorua (for a second I was about to write "Human")  
Age: 14

There was a space for a paw print. Garchomp then provided an ink pad, which I used to stamp it down.

"Done. You do not know how much I want to evolve right now." The three of us laughed as Garchomp took back the form. seeing there was nothing wrong with it, he put it in a bin labeled "Applications"

"It is now official. Welcome to the guild." He spreaded his bladed arms out wide. "Well, at least when I sent it to the Head of Divisions."

"Well, now we have to introduce you to the rest of the team. Hoping they're not asleep, that is." Lexi then ushered me out of the office and left the Guildmaster alone.

"Hey Chris?"

I looked back, then turned around. "Yeah?"

"Feel free to talk to me anytime you like, okay?"

"Alright, thank you." I had a feeling right then that I would be seeing him quite often.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"What?"

"You're in the Leyan region."

"Thanks."

As we strolled out the office, my anticipation grew as we headed to meet my new teammates.

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**Wow. That chapter was longer than the first two combined. Anyways, feel free to fav, follow and send a review, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter. DZ13 out.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Meeting the Team

We made our way into the tunnel on the right side of the Grand Room. Along the downward path were many rooms for the different teams under Garchomp's division. Each door was decorated in some way, usually with a team name painted on the front of it. We continued walking until we reached a door bearing the name of my new team: Legacy.

"Well, this is it. Hopefully they're awake still, am I right?" She smiled at me and I laughed, eager to meet my new friends. She opened the door cautiously, then we stepped into the room. Looking around, there were some furnishings, but they weren't nearly as nice as the decor in the Guildmaster's. There was a medium-sized sofa in the middle, in a dark, olive-green color. On the wall there were some pictures inside wooden frames, but I wasn't able to look at them up close before I was absolutely blindsided by an unknown attacker. The force took the wind right out of my body. I gasped as I hit the floor, my assaulter landing right on top of me.

"WHO ARE YOU?! WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!" The voice was clearly male, the sound waves bouncing around the entire room. I looked up to see a light blue creature with glaring red eyes staring down at me. There was a thick tan section in the shape of a "V" that covered his chest that was cut in half straight down the middle. He had an enormous jaw with teeth lining the inside of his mouth, ready to tear anything that happened to find their way inside. It was a Totodile. His stubby, short fingers wrapped around my neck, his fist high in the air, like at any moment he would beat the living crap out of me.

"Wade, that is no way to treat a teammate, so GET OFF HIM!" Lexi shouted the last words, trying to do anything to get the blue crocodile off me. Then I looked at his head and saw a yellow bandanna wrapped around his head. That must mean...

"Teammate?" My attacker and I spoke simultaneously as we disengaged and put some distance between ourselves. So much for a formal introduction.

"Wohohoho, hold on here. You trying to tell me that _this_," The blue beast pointed towards me,"is my teammate?"_ 'I don't like him, and I am positive he doesn't like me_' I thought. _'Off to a great start already.'_ Lexi completely ignored the question, turning around to call out into a dimly lit room.

"Sandra, come out here and meet your new teammate." The Snivy glared at Wade as she spoke the the last words, and kept glaring at him as a small, yellow shrew-like animal appeared out the back of the room. It slowly walked towards our group, head pointed towards the ground. It was covered with a pattern that looked like bricks stacked all across its body. I immediately identified it as a Sandshrew.

"Guys, this is Chris. I found him today and I think he could be a valuable asset to our team. Chris, This is Wade," Lexi patted the belligerent beast on the back. "and I'm sorry about him attacking you like that, it's in his nature." As she said this, Wade pounded one fist into the other, like was ready to go toe-to-toe with Giratina itself.

Lexi then moved on to the Sandshrew. "This is Sandra. Say hi to our new team member."

"Hi." The voice was quiet, almost inaudible. The words were spoken in a sheepish tone.

"Well, now that the brief introductions are over, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping tonight. C'mon, Chris." She started walking towards two tunnels carved out to the right of the room. She entered one, revealing a small room with two beds, both essentially piles of straw.

"I know, it's not the most amazing of rooms, but it gets the job done. We're saving up to buy real beds in the near future." I looked around to see only one window, which was about three feet above my head, so the only way to look out was to climb up to the windowsill.

"It's fine, thanks." I looked up at the wall to see a picture inside of a frame. It looked like it was taken some time ago, with the team's members all smiling and happy. Underneath it read, "Team Legacy; Induction Date: July 17th, 2011" I had just met all of them. All except for one.

"Hey, who's the Fletchinder up there? In that photo." I pointed with my head towards the picture. Lexi turned around and froze.

"Uh... I.. don't want to talk about it. It was a while ago..." She stared at the ground, trying to avoid conversation as much as possible. I knew in my mind that it was restricted territory, but my curiosity got the better of me.

"Are you sure? Can't we talk about things like this, now that we're teammates?"

"I said, I - don't - want - to talk - about it." She spaced out her words, putting emphasis on every syllable. Instantly I knew that I had crossed the line, but there was no turning back. I stared into her eyes, locking her dark-red ones with my gray-green eyes.

"Can you please tel-" Lexi slapped me across the face: hard. So much for a good impression.

Her anger had reached to a lever higher than any I could've imagined. "When someone says they don't want to talk about something, you need to respect that fact and NOT TALK ABOUT IT!"

I winced as the brute force of her words hit me. I instantly regretted bringing up an obvious sore spot for her, so I withdrew and looked away. She saw me turn and decided our talk wasn't over.

"Look, I know you just got here, and you want to know everything there is to know about everything, but you can't. I don't want to bring you into the light about that. At least not yet.'

I faced back towards her as she continued on.

"See, the thing is Chris, everyone has something to hide; we all have our secrets. The only thing that changes is when, how and if you make it known, and to whom you tell it to. And look, I'm sorry I snapped at you, I just want that to remain a secret between you and me for a little while, okay?"

My voice was quieter than usual, and my sentences were brief. "Yeah, I get it. We've all got secrets. Of course, you already know one of mine, I told you it today."

"Yeah, you did."

The room was quiet for a brief moment before Wade entered.

"Lex, you alright? I heard yelling coming from here, and I wanted to make sure everything was good, so..." He glanced over at me, then back to Lexi and said, "You know, if you're new friend here's bothering you, I'd be happy to," He rubbed his fist into his other hand. "take him outside."

"Yeah, I'm fine." She looked up at him. "And no, Chris isn't annoying me, but thanks anyway." She yawned. "It's getting late, so we should all hit the sac and get ready for tomorrow."

"See ya then." The croc walked out of the room and made his way to where, I presumed he and Sandra slept.

Before I made my way over to the straw pile, I said good night, then lay down, hoping to get some sleep for the night ahead.

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**Wow, that was quite the chapter, if I do say so myself. Anyway, feel free to favorite, follow and review, and I'll see you guys tomorrow. DZ13 out.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys sorry I couldn't update yesterday, but if you read chapter 5.5 then you'll know why. Anyway, I just retired from my first race in Formula 1 2013 :(. So here the story yay...**

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Chapter 6: Lunch on Day 1

When I opened my eyes, the room was dark. Almost pitch-black. But that didn't bother me, for i slept every night in conditions similar to this. I struggled to get out off my bed, only to realize I wasn't myself. I felt my face and felt fur. I looked at my hands and saw paws instead. Then I laughed at myself.

"So everything that happened yesterday _was_ real." I spoke to myself in a quiet voice, trying not to wake anyone. I walked out of the bedroom and moved to the couch in the main room. Since no one else was there, I stretched out on the couch and relaxed. Thoughts raced through my mind as I tried to prepare for what's ahead.

'I wonder when all the teams will meet in the Grand Room. And I hope I don't get a mission that involves fighting. I haven't been able to practice any of that yet.' The thoughts kept on coming. I was going to try to wake my teammates up, but someone else beat me to it.

"GoooooooOOOOOOD MORNING GUILD MEMBERS! It's tiiiimeee to WAKE UP!" The shout bounced off every wall and crevice inside the room. It genuinely scared the crap out of me. I whipped around to see where the sound came from, but no one else was inside the room with me. Then I looked above the door. To the right of the door frame was a small speaker, with wires running up and through the wall. It was a loud-speaker system.

'Well that explains it.'

I started to notice my teammates rising from their beds and sleepily walking out into the main room. They were somewhat surprised to see me all alone in the slowly brightening room.

"Huh? Chris, why are you up so early?" Lexi slowly rubbed her eyes as they tried to focus on her surroundings. "Although, I am a little impressed. Not many people can beat Frank's wake up calls." Seeing my face after her praise, she started to explain. "Frank's an Exploud whose job is to wake up all the guild members over the loudspeaker." She pointed to the speaker I had seen earlier.

"Ohhh, okay."

Wade walked over to me and punched me in the shoulder in a friendly, Wade kind of way. It still hurt though. I would've rubbed the spot where he hit me, but I couldn't reach it. Maybe he had gotten over the fact that he had a new teammate that he didn't like (and didn't really like him back). Or maybe he just found a new wave of friendliness. The latter wasn't very likely.

"Well, we need to get ready. Sandra, could you get the utility box? We should show our new _teammate_ all of our stuff." Apparently, Wade still wasn't over me being his new teammate, he as just willing to put up with it.

Sandra walked over to a small storage room and pulled out a medium-sized box. Once she returned, she opened the box and pulled out its contents. There was a folded up piece of paper, a small leather bag, and a leftover yellow scarf, similar to the rest of the ones my teams already had.

Lexi picked up the paper an unfolded it, revealing a map of the entire region. Like she had explained last night, the map was divided into 5 sections, with one being highlighted, different from the other sections. 'That must be where we are,' I though to myself.

"As you can see, this is a map of Garchomp's section." She pointed to a small star on the map. "We're here, in Verdanturf Town."

Refolding the map, Lexi picked up the bag, which the map was then shoved inside.

"This is the Items Bag, where you can hold items such as Escape Orbs, different kinds of Seeds, and other things."

Finally she came to the scarf. She picked it up and then presented it to me.

"This is for you. All members of my team will wear it whenever they're outside. When you get here at the end of the day, only then can you take it off. Wear this with pride and honor." She then gave the scarf to me. I sat down and struggled to put it on, but eventually I succeeded.

"Okay, now we're ready." We made our way out into the hallway and walked to receive our tasks.

* * *

As we walked to the Grand Room, I started to notice the other teams. There was a group of Psychic types, all sitting in a circle meditating. Another group was a band of Ice types, with a giant Beartic leading them out into the now bright sunlight. Our group headed towards the Guildmaster's room to receive our missions. We entered the room, the Guildmaster greeting us with open arms.

"Hello, members of Team Legacy. I presume you're here for your missions."

"No, we came in just to say hi. Of course that's why we came here." It was obvious that Wade was tired of just waiting around to receive our tasks.

"Okay. Alexis, I want you to take Chris on a tour of the town. Wade and Sandra, I've given you the job of exploring Mineshaft Cave. report your findings once you return. Understood?"

"Yes, Guildmaster." We responded in a group, then we departed from Garchomp. Once outside, we split into our respective groups.

"C'mon, Chris." Lexi beckoned to me as she started to walk towards the town center.

* * *

It was later in the day, around noon. So far, Lexi had shown me most of the buildings and their respective purposes. Some notable buildings was the Medical Center, where wounded Pokémon are cared for. Another set of buildings were shops that could sell almost anything to you. Not only had she shown be the town itself, but we also explored the mountains for a only reason we stopped was we were hungry. As we headed back into town, we reached a worn down, yet still completely stable building.

"This is one of my favorite places in town." There was a sign posted on the top of the building saying:

Uncle Charlie's  
All-Day Breakfast

"Follow me." We walked through the red doors and into the small café. Immediately, I saw who I assumed to be the owner of the restaurant. The creature was a burnt orange color, with wings folded down against its body. It had two horns pointing backwards out of its head. I recognized the beast from my expansive knowledge: Charizard.

"Charlie!"

The beast turned around. "Well look who it is? Hey, how ya been?" His voice was rough yet sympathetic. His eyes seem to hold the lot of things that he had seen and done. He motioned for us to sit down at a table. I followed Lexi to the booth and sat down.

"I've been good. There's someone I want to introduce you to, though. Charlie, this is Chris. He's the new member of my team."

He looked at me, eager to get to know me better.

"Chris, eh? Well it's nice to meet ya, kid." He held out his clawed hand and I shook it (as awkward as it was). "Now, what can I can get ya two?" Charlie took out a pad of paper and a pencil and waited for our orders.

"I'll have the usual."

"Sitrus Berry waffles with water?"

Lexi smiled. "You know me so well."

"And you?" He looked at me. I then noticed a small scar over his right eye, then another along his neck.

"Uh..." I quickly glanced back at the menu. Feeling pressured, I just asked for the same.

"Alrightey. Be back in a few." He walked through a door that said. "Employee Only."

Lexi looked intently at me.

"So..."

"So what?"

"What do you think of him?"

"I thinks he's very nice. I love Charizards, so even better."

"I told you you'd like him."

"Although, I don't know why he has those scars."

She looked at me, confused. "What scars?"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. You're saying that before I mentioned it, you've never noticed the scars."

"Nope."

"Never?"

"Never."

"Huh. The things you learn about people."

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"

"Nothing! It's just that I find it odd that you've known him longer than I have and you never noticed those scars until I mentioned them to you, that's all."

"Good."

* * *

After I had the best lunch of my entire life, I finally mustered up the courage to ask the beast about his past.

"Hey, Charlie?"

"Yeah kid?"

"Where'd you get those scars?"

Charlie straightened, turned around and looked deep into my eyes. "I'm afraid that's a secret, little pup. Maybe I'll tell ya later. Just maybe, if I feel like it."

"Oh, okay." Lexi's words were proved in that moment.

"But, you're one of the first to ask me in a long time." He was about to leave, but then turned his attention to my partner. "Oh Lex, I've been meaning to give this to ya." Charlie tossed an odd green disc on the table and walked away.

I looked at it and read the label:

TM35

Energy Ball

Lexi reached over and took the TM, placing it carefully in the bag. She spoke up. "You ready to go?"

A pause.

"Yeah, I'm ready."


	7. Chapter 7

**Last chapter got the most views out of any of the other chapters. I really love that I can write a story and have it make someone's day. So here's today's chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 7: Collision Course

Once we exited the restaurant, Lexi burst out

"Hey, I have and idea. I want to show you something." She started walking towards the forest we had entered last night. I followed Lexi to the opening in the woods to find a small sign with a brief warning:

LOSTLORN FOREST  
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK

The words were fading, probably written a long time ago. The forest wasn't as dangerous at they said, right?

* * *

As we entered the forest, I had a sneaking suspicion that we we're going to be ambushed by wild Pokémon. But nothing came. We walked for a while until I finally calmed down enough to speak.

"So, why are here?" I always wanted to know what was going on and why.

"I want to show you a _really_ cool spot here. It's a place I like to visit once in a while." She seemed eager to show me the spot, with her almost jumping as she walked. _'I wonder what she's so excited for.'_

We walked until we reached a hidden path that tore through the brush to take us to our unknown destination. Lexi slid through the bushes with ease, while I got stuck in their thorns in the most ungraceful way possibly. She stifled a laugh, and after I shot a glare at her, we continued. Soon we discovered a large clearing with a small lake in the middle. The water was crystal clear. I gaped in amazement.

"Wow. What is this place?"

"Crystal Lake. Famous for its water that's so clear you can always look straight to the bottom."

I looked down at the water at my feet. Her words were true. I could see the small Water types swimming around at their own pace throughout. I glanced to my right and stopped. Out of the trees, a large, brown beetle was emerging. It had two silver pincers on its head, and a mouth like a set of razors. And it was walking towards us at a brisk pace.I walked away from the water, bared my fangs and got into a fighting stance.

"Get away from us now, or _else._" I growled at the bug, who showed no signs of stopping. In fact, it actually started running at me head on.

"What are you doing?"

"Protecting you!" I waited, waiting for the bug to make its move.

* * *

**Lexi's POV**

When I heard those two words, I froze. They bounced and echoed off the walls in my head.

Protecting. You.

This wasn't the only time someone had spoken those words to me. The last time was about two years ago...

**Two Years Ago:**

We felt like we we're on top of the world. Our team had just been promoted to silver rank (it was only the second-lowest rank, but we we're still excited by the fact that our team was moving up in the world) by Garchomp, and we decided to celebrate. As we made our way to Crystal lake, though, we were ambushed. They surrounded us so no one could escape.

The squad of bandits called themselves the Brute Gang. It consisted of the following:

Rampardos  
Lucario  
Archaeops  
Zoroark  
Bisharp (who I assumed to be the leader).

The Bisharp spoke first. His tone was menacing and sharp, like the blades on his arms."Now who here is the leader of this pathetic group?"

The founder of our team stepped forwards. The founding was a year ago. He was so considerate to let me name our rescue team. My best friend. His wings were black and tipped with yellow, and his crest was white and orange. His beady black eyes were staring at our ambushers. He spoke with all the pride he had, ready to protect us at any cost. That bird, that Fletchinder, was Flare.

"I am."

The vile leader spoke again. "Now I would suggest you hand over all your valuable possessions to us, or there will be consequences. I'd also like to add that resistance will be futile." His bladed arm started pulsing a dark purple aura.

"Never. I would never give up anything to evil scum like you." He then started to fly up as high as he could.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled.

He said the words spoken not two moments ago, by my newest friend

"Protecting you!" He then rocketed towards the sky, dived back down and strafed the Bisharp with an ember. The bandit yelped in pain as he flew over head.

"Argh!" He stumbled a little, then righted himself. "That, my friend, will cost you dearly." The Bisharp's arm then was coated in a sheet of rock, and as Flare came back down for another pass, the Bisharp jumped up to intercept Flare with his arm. I gasped in realization as the two continued on their collision course.

Stone Edge.

Those two words were some of the last he spoke to me.

**Present:**

And the flashback ended.

Then, I watched the little black Zorua brace for his first fight, on a similar collision course

* * *

**Chris's POV**

Once it got close, the bug lunged and went for my legs. I narrowly avoided the attack (Low Sweep), then countered with a set of Fury Swipes. My claws cut into the bug's body. One, two. One, two. One, two. Once I finished my attack, It tried to use bug bite on me, bit I evaded it, then went for another set of fury swipes. Once my attack ended, though, the Bug ceased

"Hey man, I didn't mean ya no harm." The voice was male. Once he said this, the Pinsir started to change. He was enveloped by a black mist before revealing himself in an entirely new form.

His body was now a dark gray. On his chest was a group of black fur with tufts of it extending over his shoulders. His face was fox-like, with gray ears lined with red inside. The most notable feature, though, was the length of hair that stretched from his head to his lower legs. The color was blood-red, with spikes sticking out occasionally, tipped with black. It took me no time to figure out what he was.

Zoroark.

"Why'd you go attackin' me like that, man?" He spoke as if I had known better.

"Well, I presumed you were wild, with Pinsirs being native to the forest, and all. And it wouldn't hurt if you didn't _charge_ at me. Plus, I was only trying to protect my friend here." I looked over to Lexi and motioned for her to join our friendly conversation.

As she walked up to us, the Zoroark seemed to recognize her.

"Hey, I've seen you before. You're.. uh... what's your name?"

"I'm Lexi, and this is Chris." She pointed towards me.

"Hi."

"Well, it's to meet ya kiddos."

The fox then came over to me and studied me closely. A bit _too_ closely.

"Hey, you're kinda freaki-"

"Shhhhhh."

He examined me for a few more seconds, then went back to his place.

"Alright. First off, you new here? 'Cause there aren't many of my kind 'round here."

"Yes I am." I responded to his question confidently.

"Second, why are your eyes like that? You should have blue eyes, like me." I looked at him and noticed, to his word, his eyes were the typical bright blue. Then I came up with a clever way to cover up I was human.

"Both my parent shad these color eyes, so I guess they got carried onto me."

_"_Okay kid, I haven't done this before but, I have an offer for you. You want to train with me? Ya know, after all your missions and stuff."

I was surprised by the stranger's offer. I didn't know what to think of it.

"Uh, I don't know, maybe." I turned around and had a minor conference with Lexi

"Do you think I could train with Zeke?" I whispered. "Like he said, after all our missions are done "

"I don't know, he seems kind of suspicious to me. but, if you get into trouble, it wasn't my idea."

I turned back around. "Alright, I think my answer is yes."

"Good to hear. We'll start tomorrow."

When Lexi looked up, the sky was almost an orange color.

"Aw, crap! We gotta go!" She grabbed my arm and dragged me across the forest floor about ten feet before I got up and started to run.

The last words I heard were, "See ya then!"

* * *

**Yay! New character introduction! Another thing: about halfway through writing this I hit some control + something else and I lost almost half the story. It was infuriating, but I survived. Anyway, you know what to do.**

**~DZ13**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys. I'm REALLY sorry that I haven't updated, it's just that I've been the laziest person in all the universe, and I also have some procrastination issues. Fortunately, I have some very exciting chapters planned, so look forwards to those. Other than that, I don't know much else to say. So read on.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Back Home

We sprinted as fast as we could away from Crystal Lake. As we neared the edge of the forest, I stopped.

Lexi turned around. "What? Why'd you stop?"

I looked over my shoulder to make sure there wasn't anyone following us. There wasn't.

"Here's the thing. I want this training to be a secret just between you and me, okay?"

"Okay, why is that?"

"It's just that... I don't know." I wanted to think of a valid reason for hiding my training with Zeke, but I couldn't. Maybe it was something about him... Lexi didn't seem to mind keeping secrets though.

"Well, we better get going. Hopefully the others had a successful mission."

I had completely forgot about the others. Suddenly my mind shifted gears, focusing on the rest of the team. I was one-third worried, one-third curious, and one-third eager.

"Yeah, we better get a move on." We made our way out of the forest and headed into town.

* * *

Once we quickly checked in with the Guildmaster and reported our mission successful. Technically, it was more of a pseudo-mission, but a mission no less.

As we started to walk out of his office, Garchomp stopped me.

"Chris, may I speak with you in private?"

"Uh.." I looked over my shoulder and nodded for Lexi to go back alone.

"Alright."

* * *

Once I sat down on the couch, Garchomp started the conversation.

"So, I've looked into it since you arrived, and unfortunately, there is not a known way of getting you back to your home. I'm sorry."

I looked at the ground with sadness. I almost started to tear up, but I held them back. Garchomp reassured me.

"Now, now, there is no need to lose hope, my good friend. Actually, there may be someone that can help you with that."

That perked my spirits up.

"Really? You think so?"

"Yes, and being a fellow kinsman of yours, I think he would be happy to help you."

Kinsman? He couldn't possibly be talking about Zeke, could he? I looked at him with a face mixed with curiosity and confusion.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have been more specific. I meant he has the same type as you. He is a Umbreon who lives here in the observation room. He's also more cooperative during the night, as you probably know."

His words reminded me of Umbreon's Pokédex description. 'When exposed to the moon's aura, the rings on its body glow faintly and it gains a mysterious power.' _'Whatever kind of power that is, if it can help, I'll take_ _it._' I thought to myself.

"I want you to talk to him soon after curfew, for he stays up all night, just watching the sky."

Whoever this Umbreon was, he seemed like an interesting Pokémon.

"Okay, I will."

"Good to hear. Now, it's getting late. You should probably go to your quarters."

"Okay. Good night, sir."

With that I walked out of his office and back to my new home.

* * *

Once I reached the door, I knocked on its rough surface.

"Come in!"

I opened the door to see my teammates talking and laughing among themselves.

"Hey, guys. So how was the mission?"

Wade turned and spoke up.

"It went fine. Other than a bunch of Rock and Ground types, there wasn't much in the cave. It wasn't anything we couldn't handle, right Sandra?" He glanced over his shoulder to look at the Sandshrew.

"Right." Her words came out quiet and sheepish.

"Damn it, Sandra! Why do you have to be so shy all the time? You can be yourself here, okay?"

"Okay." She sulked off to her room without another word. Maybe she would never get over her shyness. Maybe she might, but it definitely didn't seem like she would now. And I wanted to know why.

"Is she always like that?"

Wade gave me a solemn nod. "Pretty much. Even when we found her, she was in that melancholy mood of hers. Shame she can't be happier." He got off the couch and started walking to the offset room.

"You never know, there may be a way." I responded. "We just have to find it."

Lexi then joined in. "Well, whatever it is, it's certainly not showing itself now."

"Yeah." I walked over to the couch and stretched out and got comfortable. Once I did, I started to think about what had happened and what was to come.

_'Okay, so a lot happened today. I met Charlie, a somewhat mysterious Charizard, and Zeke, a fellow kinsman who is going to start training me tomorrow. Tomorrow night I need to talk to that Umbreon that Garchomp mentioned to me. Hopefully he's nice. And I hope I do well with training tomorrow. Wow, that's a lot of things to look forward to.'_

After spending most of the twilight on the couch, I migrated into the bedroom where Lexi and I slept. I slumped into the pile and drifted off into sleep.

* * *

**So there's the end of the chapter, and I know, it's not that big of an update, being less that 200 words. I wanted to finish it last night, but I ran out of time and I had to go to bed. Well, I may not be posting tomorrow because I have a decently-sized social studies assignment due Friday, and they're usually 2-3 pages long. But anyway feel free to fav, follow and review, and I'll see you guys sometime in the future.  
**

**~DZ13**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys I FINALLY GET TO WRITE TODAY! After all the homework I can actually get to continue the story :) I know, I know this update was WAY overdue, but I have to put school before anything else 'round here. Yeah, that's basically it. New chapter finally... I'm so tired guys...**

* * *

Chapter 9: A Mission with a Side of Training

I must have slept in late, because I wasn't expecting Frank's wake-up call. Then again, so much had happened over the last two days, so that could've been a reason.

"GOOOOOOOOD MORNING EVERYBODY! WE GOTTA GET THOSE MISSIONS IN, LET'S GO GO GO!"

I groaned and slowly rose from the pile of hay. I yawned, quickly did a couple stretches, then started to walk out into the other room. When I got there, I waited for my other teammates to arrive. I waited for about five minutes before they migrated from their rooms to the... living room, I guess. Yeah, living room works.

"How can you get up so early?" Wade walked into the room.

"Well, once I get out of bed, I'm basically ready."

He started to yawn and cover his mouth with his hand. The girls came out after him, Lexi walking slowly compared to her normal pace. One thing I knew about Snivies was that they are _fast_.

"Hey guys. What's up?"

"Well, considering the fact we just woke up, not much." Wade was certainly someone who stated the obvious.

"We better get a move on and head out." Lexi started to walk towards the door, and we followed. Personally, I wanted an easy mission, but I didn't think that was going to happen.

As we walked down the halls, I noticed that the four of us were the only ones out. Yesterday, most of the other guild members were out and about.

"Why are we the only ones out here? Didn't they all get the wake up call?"

Lexi responded without stopping."They did alright, it's just that I like to get our job done as soon as possible."

"Oh."

When we reached the Guildmaster's office, he looked like he'd pulled an all-nighter, yet when he saw us, he was filled with enthusiasm.

"Hello, my good friends. Quite early in the morning, isn't it?" he questioned. We nodded.

"Well, your mission today is to rescue a lost Teddiursa in the depths of Murky Cove. Her name is Luna and I want you to bring the child back to her parents as soon as possible, understood?"

"Yes, sir." We replied as a group.

"Then good luck and be safe." We then walked out of the room without another word.

* * *

As we ventured out to the eastern side of Verdanturf, I started thinking about the task ahead.

_'Hopefully we can find that Teddiursa soon so she can get back to her family soon. I really want to impress the team today.'_

As I started to think, though, pessimism slowly infected my thoughts.

_'__But_,_ what if she's been found already..by bandits? Or maybe we won't reach her at all. What if I get knocked out? What if they kick me out for being such a weakling? What if... I_ die_?'_

I wasn't going to let my thoughts get in the way of the mission.

_'NO!'_ I mentally slapped myself in the face._'GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!'Everything is going to be okay! Just trust your team, they'll help you. And...Lexi wouldn't abandon you. Nor would Garchomp.'_

I settled myself down. Eventually, we reached the spot. As we neared the entrance, Wade spun around and faced me.

"Okay, so how this works is that once we go in, there's no going back until we beat this dungeon. Most of the Pokémon inside will do anything to knock you out or worse, so don't mess up." He then gave a huge smile.

Lexi scolded him slightly. "Wade, take it easy on him. It's his first real mission with us, so don't put too much pressure on him."

"Ugh, fine. Why you always gotta ruin my fun?" Wade looked at Lexi and she punched him in the shoulder. In the 'you're being so annoying, so stop or else I'll pommel you into nonexistence' kind of way. He looked at her with a glare, and then the two of them locked themselves into a staring contest.

"Guys!" I looked at the entrance of the cave as I interjected. "We have a serious mission to attend to. Can we get on with it?'

"Right, sorry. Anyway, let's head on in." Lexi lead the team into the cave, and my true test of strength was going to begin.

* * *

As we entered the cove, Lexi dropped back from the other to explain more about dungeons.

"Every dungeon has a specific type assigned to it, Murky Cove being Water. Dungeons also have a set amount of floors, this one having three of them. On each floor, you can find items and wild Pokémon that are willing to do anything to take you down. Each floor is also random, so the steps to the next floor could be anywhere. Sometimes they may be right next to where you came up, but there isn't much of a chance that it'll happen." Once she finished her speech, she then ran back to catch up with the others, and I jogged up to the group.

I processed the information I had been given, but there was still one thing that stuck out in my mind._'Anything to take me out? Well, I haven't fought really, besides that short skirmish with Zeke in disguise. Hopefully I'll get out of here mostly unharmed.' _As soon as these words came into my head, a wild creature appeared.

It was around our height, with orange skin and a weasel-like face. Around its neck was a yellow band that seemed to look like a life-preserver or an inner tube, slightly sticking out from the rest of its body. Behind it were two swinging tails that were also orange, and tipped with a light cream color. It was a Buisel.

It opened its mouth and water came shooting out of it. The Water Gun hit me squarely in the face, temporarily blinding me. As I tried to wipe the water from my eyes, Lexi whipped up a small tornado of leaves and shot it at the Buisel as it tried to go in for a Tackle. It was almost knocked down, but it continued on at a slower pace. Sandra, who appeared out of nowhere, flung sand in the eyes and made it stumble. Before it could reach its target, though, Wade intercepted the creature and used a Bite to finish it off. I stared in amazement.

"Wow, that was amazing!" I was completely awestruck.

"Oh what, that? That was _nothing_. We've faced a lot tougher and come out on top. " Wade spoke nonchalantly, and by what I just saw, he was probably right.

"Feel free to help, instead of just standing there like a freakin' idiot," he continued.

A surge of anger spread through me.

"Is that your mentality? If someone complements you, you insult them right back? Maybe if I wasn't _blinded_, then _maybe_ I would've helped! Plus, I've never really fought anything before, so just _lay off_, will you?"

"Enough! This is NOT the time for arguments!" Lexi shouted. Her voice echoed over our group. We both turned as she made her way towards the croc. She stuck a finger into his striped chest. "Wade, you need to stop harassing your teammate,_ got it?_" As she spoke the last words, she pushed him back, and he stumbled.

"Understood." He turned and continued into the cove, following the secluded Sandshrew. Lexi then turned to me and started.

"He's not always a jerk, it's just that, after that day, he's just not the same. None of us are." She shook off the thoughts of her past and carried on, with me bringing up the rear.

_'I wonder what day that was' _I thought, _'Hopefully nothing bad happened to that Fletchinder.'_

As we passed it, the fainted Buisel was surrounded by light mist and vanished.

"Woah, did it just... disappear?" The being seemed to had merely dissipate into the thick, moist air.

"All enemies that are defeated will do that," Lexi explained. "Some of the wild Pokémon here are sentient, though most are just rambling around waiting to ambush and finish us."

A part of my mind sparked to life. _'So maybe we could find a new team member here. Then again, I think the others are done with newcomers for now.'_ I put the thoughts away in the back of my mind.

Two uneventful rooms later, we found the stairs. I was about to continue, when Lexi stopped.

"We gotta be careful. The next floor has a lot more wilds, and they'll be stronger."

"Got it. You guys ready?" I looked at the group for a response.

"Yeah." Wade grunted as he walked up the steps, pushing me out of the way.

"Okay." Sandra's voice was quiet; nothing new there. She glided up after my other teammate.

"Let's go, shall we?" Lexi started up with me behind.

* * *

Floor 2

Once we had all climbed to the next floor, I felt like something was watching me. I observed my surroundings, trying to find my stalker. Nothing.

"Uh... guys, I feel like there's something, or someone, watching us."

"Keep your eyes open for anything." Lexi stated.

"Okay." I slowly advanced through the room when I was tackled to the ground by a stout, frog like creature. It had beady black eyes, and a spiral pattern on its belly. The being's hands seemed to be covered in white gloves, like a boxer. Poliwhirl.

The frog's Body Slam hit hard, and it knocked the breath out of my chest. it then jumped on top of me and slapped me across the face. Twice.

"Get off me!" I shouted. I pushed off the Poliwhirl with enough force to make it falter. _'Perfect, this is my time to show them my worth.'_

I charged at the Water-type, a dark aura surrounding me. _'Pursuit, cool.' _I slammed into the being and sent it sprawling back a few feet. Then I followed up with a set pf Fury Swipes, knocking it out. The fainted Poliwhirl evaporated into the air.

"Not bad, huh?" I looked at my team, who had some surprised looks on there faces.

Wade was the first to speak.

"Well, I didn't know you had it in you. Impressive." He spoke in a genuine tone, and that put a grin on my face.

* * *

**I'm so sorry, but I have to end it here. The indoor track season has started, so I think I'll try to update on the weekends if I don't have a meet. Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? Oh well, see you in the next one.**

**~DZ13**


	10. Chapter 10

**I decided to just continue the story now, tbh. Let's get in to it. ;) Oh, it's good to be back.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Closing In

We continues to search the damp floor of the cave for any sign of Luna. We had been through five rooms, but there was still no clue as to where she would be. _'__Hopefully we can find her_,_'_ I though to myself. _'__It would be so sad if we couldn't; we need to get back to her family. I bet she misses them so much._' Eventually we grew tired, and we were losing hope.

"Anyone got anything?" Lexi asked from across the room. She seemed to be very intent on finding Luna as soon as physically possible.

Surprisingly, Sandra was the first to respond. "Nothing yet, but I'm still looking." It was the first time I'd heard her voice louder than a whisper. It had an anxious but determined sound to it.

"I got nothin'.'' Wade was walking towards Lexi, also searching the ground. "Look, we've scoured every room on this floor and found nothing. We would be wasting time if someone moved her somewhere else."

Lexi straightened. She turned around to face Wade. "Are you assuming that she was kidnapped? I mean, if so, where she would be? Who would've taken her?" Her tone became very frantic.

As Sandra walked over to calm Lexi, I though hard about where she could be. There were so many possibilities on to what happened. Then I realized something critical. I stopped searching and rushed over to the group.

"Wait, I have an idea. Wade, you just said that we've searched every room on this floor, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, what if we've been fooled this whole time? What if they've hid her on a lower floor? I mean, our goal is to keep going up, right? Logically, putting her on a lower floor would reduce the risk of anyone finding her."

The group looked awestruck. No one spoke for a moment.

"Wow. I never would've thought about it like that." Lexi stated. "I wouldn't know what to do without you, Chris." She smiled at me, but then it faded form her face.

"If that's the case, we better hurry." We sprinted towards the stairs, for a new hope surged through us.

* * *

Floor 1

We raced around the stairs and immediately began to search the rest of the rooms we hadn't ventured into. As I walked along the walls of one of the rooms, I noticed something on the wall. Technically in it. A set of elongated scratch marks along the wall, formed by tree claws. Following those was another collection of scratch marks in a zigzag pattern, forming small "V"s int the rock. If this wasn't a sign, I didn't know what was.

"Uh, guys? You might want to come over here!" I shouted. In seconds, I was surrounded by the group.

"What kind of Pokemon made that?" Lexi asked.

"Well, we've only seen a Buizel and a Poliwhirl, and neither of those have any claws, so that only leaves one kind that could be in this cave. At least with three claws anyway."

We all looked at each other.

Luna.

I looked at the end of the scratch marks and saw something else. Where the scratch marks ended was an indent in the wall. I walked over to it , and saw a rather thin tunnel in the wall.

"I think I know where they took her."

Once again, the group huddled around me.

"We don't really have a choice do we?" Sandra didn't seemed to happy to traverse the ominous passage.

"Not really." Wade replied.

"So who wants to go first?" Since no one volunteered, I guess it was me. Slowly, I started to make my way through the tunnel

* * *

Once we had all made it through(Wade did have a little bit of trouble), We finally saw what we were looking for: Luna

She was a small creature, with matted orange fur and a black dot for a nose. A white crescent moon pattern was on her chest, and her adorable face was full with fear. Surrounding her over head were two different Pokemon: a Haunter and a Golbat.

"Please, don't hurt me! I just want to see Mommy and Daddy again!" Luna pleaded. She bawled as the Pokemon circled her.

"You won't see Mommy and Daddy until you tell us where they live, little girl." The Haunter's voice was sinister' its tone was mocking, and I hated everything about it.

The Golbat chimed in: "Yes, and then you'll be able to see them and us again! Isn't that wonderful!?" His voice was high pitched and grating. The aggressors laughed hysterically. Luna began to cry even harder.

I had had enough of their harassment. It was time to act.

"HEY! YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!" I shouted with all the courage I had. I struck a fighting stance and waited for a fight

Both foes turned and the Golbat spoke "Wha- Who are you people? HOW did you find us?!" He then turned to the Haunter. "I TOLD you someone would find us, but NOOOOO, you had to convince me this was the BEST spot to take her!"

"Hey, you wanted to take her to Lostlorn, and that's no better!"

"Well whatever! We have a bigger issue to be dealing with at the moment." The foes turn back to us, and started their assault.

* * *

**I'm really sorry that I had to end it there, but I really have to go to bed and I didn't want to make this an insanely long chapter. I promise to finish this section of the chapter. At this rate, my story will be like 150 chapters, but whatever. **

**Anyway, see you guys next time,**

**~DZ13**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Mission (Almost) Complete

As the bullies began to move towards us, I realized we needed a game plan. Quickly, I assessed the situation. _'Alright so they're both Poison types, so Grass is resisted, especially with that Golbat. That means that Lexi would have a better chance against the Haunter. Also, Ground would hit them for super effective damage, except they both nullify that: Golbat with its Flying type, and Haunter's Levitate, so Sandra can't use Sand Attack on either of them. Fortunately, Wade can hit both of them for neutral damage, and I can hit Haunter for super effective damage, and Golbat for neutral. Yeah, this isn't a very good matchup, but we have a chance.'_

"Alright, we should split up and double team both of them. Lexi and I will take the Haunter, while Wade, you and Sandra take the Golbat." I really needed them to trust me on this; it was the best chance we have at getting out of there with minimal injury.

Wade kept his eyes on the aggressors, but still responded. "Yeah, I agree. Actually, Lexi, grab Luna and get her to safety. She's the reason we're here, we need to keep her unhurt. Let's go!"

I had been so absorbed in the moment of making a battle strategy that I had forgotten Luna. Shows how new I was to these type of things.

Once they were about ten feet away, we began the fight. I dashed at the Haunter to try an hit it with Pursuit. It was surprisingly quick, easily evading my attack, and countering with a Shadow Punch. The punch connected to my rib cage, and was shockingly cold. I skidded across the cave floor, but quickly righted my self, and waited for another opening. We had our eyes locked, as we moved in slow circles, ready to attack at any sign of weakness. We continued, until I tripped slightly, and the Haunter lunged with another Shadow Punch. It connected again, this time straight to the face.

_'Man, I'm getting beat up. I gotta get my act together.' _I looked over and saw Lexi silently escorting Luna to the passage in the corner of the room. Luckily, there were no signs of injury on either of them, the vanished behind the wall, and focused back to the task at hand. I barely was able to avoid yet another Shadow Punch. The Haunter didn't seem to expect that, as he was open briefly. That was my chance. With every amount of effort I had, I rammed the foe with a Pursuit.

The hit seemed to really hurt it, as it was sent back a few feet before recovering. Believing I had the upper hand, I rushed at the Haunter with another Pursuit. Unfortunately, I overestimated myself and ran straight into a very strange beam. Suddenly, everything became skewed. The room started to stretch, then spin frantically. It was insanely disorienting and confusing. _'Great, Confuse Ray,' _I inferred. I was still barely able to make out the Haunter. It way rather blurry, and the Haunter started to press his advantage. "Yes. I have you both cornered and confused. I'm afraid you're about to meet your end."

I felt something slam into my side. _'I don't think I can take much more of this...' _I felt weak in my legs, but I urged myself to keep fighting. As I started to lose my balance, I heard a shout.

"Hey, ghost face! Over here!" The Haunter started to turn, and was hit in the face with a Water Gun, just like I had earlier. At least from what I could tell.

"You dare to challenge me? I'll show you not to m-ACK!" As he was speaking, Wade hit him with another blast of water. Quickly, I saw the blur figure run towards me.

"Here, eat this." He more or less shoved something green into my mouth. I almost choked on it since I wasn't expecting it at all. As I managed to chew on the mysterious object, my vision slowly started to change. Everything was becoming more defined until everything was clear._'The thing I ate must be a Lum Berry, because my confusion is nonexistent.'_ Wade then fled back to the Haunter to continue the battle.

"You alright, Chris?!" Wade shouted across the cavern. "Whenever you're ready, I could really use your help!"

"I'm ready now!" I replied. I started to sprint over to Wade, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sandra trapped in the corner with Lexi. The Golbat loomed over the two of them. Their type-matchup was atrocious, but both Wade and I could help if we could take out the Haunter.

"Wade, it looks like the girls are in trouble. We have to help them as soon as we can." I stated. Between the four of us, there was two two vs. one battles. Our matchup was much better than theirs, so we needed to finish this battle quick.

"You two are quite the annoyance." The Haunter threw a Shadow Punch at Wade, and then me. Wade leaned forward to spit a Water Gun at the enemy, but he paused. This ingenious trick caused the Haunter to flinch momentarily. Seeing this, I lunged in with a Pursuit. The attack hit with full force, and the Haunter was knocked back into the wall. It took a few moment before he groaned, and then fainted onto the floor.

"Yes!" I exclaimed. It was exciting to see that my efforts had lead to something. "Hate to kill your fun, but we have more important things to deal with! C'mon!"

We sprinted over to the girls as fast as we could. They both looked exhausted, and seems to be close to fainting. The Golbat, on the other hand, seemed like he could fight for hours. _'Let's see how long that'll last.'_, I thought.

"Oh great, now it's a four on one," the Golbat moaned. We all looked at each other and started our attack. Wade, rather than shooting a Water Gun, full-on rammed the Golbat with a Tackle. Lexi stood her ground and launched a Leaf Tornado at the Golbat. Sandra waited for an opening and then slashed the enemy with a set of Fury Swipes.

"Ah! Hey, stop th-OW! You're asking fo-DAH! STOP IT!" The Golbat retreated. But for me, there would be no sympathy. I couldn't let him escape. I let the darkness swirl around me, and then sprinted into the weakened opposition. The Golbat fell out of the air and slammed into the ground.

"Whew, we did it!" Lexi shouted. We all celebrated by high-fiving each other and patting each other on the back. "Finally, we can finish what we started." Lexi continued. Before we proceed through the narrow tunnel, Lexi placed a small object next to the defeated Pokemon. Then we exited the room and back into the main cave. Sure enough, Luna was still waiting by the wall. Her face shone with happiness, and she sprinted to Lexi and hugged her with all her strength

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Luna exclaimed. "Thank you for saving me!"

"You're welcome, Luna." Lexi responded. "Now let's take you home." Our successful group guided the bear out of the cave and into the sun.

* * *

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while. I just realized that I've been writing this for over a year, and we're only a day into the plot. That shows how much time I have to put into other things. I really need to get this plot going a little bit faster imo. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depends on your point of view,) my cross country season is over, and I have to take at least a week, so hopefully I can work on this a little bit more. Anyway, if you like the story, follow and favorite, and I'll see you all next time**

**~DZ13**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello people of the internet. I once again apologize for the lack of updates recently, but my schedule has been tough recently, but I'll live. Anyway, one of the reasons for my absence is because I've been playing _U__ndertale. _Yes, even I have succumbed to the seemingly never-ending praise this game has gotten. And personally, I can't blame them. It's a wonderfully put together game, with a fantastic soundtrack, unique characters and many different endings. I love this game, and you should go check it out. Anyway, let's get back to the story, shall we?**

* * *

The group emerged from the cave victorious. We had gotten Luna out of the cave without harm, which definitely raised our spirits. The sun was shining bright, and the sky was a flawless shade of blue; no clouds whatsoever. As we walked away from the dungeon though, a pain developed in my head. Every time I looked the slightest bit upwards, the pain would amplify. I winced as I tried to keep my head up. Wade saw me and noticed something was wrong.

"Hey, you okay man? I know that confusion messes with your head, and I gave you that Lum Berry and all, but you should be fine." For once he seemed concerned about me, which was rare for what I'd seen so far. "You sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, it's nothing. It's just that, uh.. I have a thing with really sunny days. Like, every time it's really bright, I get a headache. It's really weird."

"Yeah," wade responded, "that is weird." He then face forward and continued to walk with the team. We were walking back to the main trail. "So anyway, when was the last time anyone gave us that much trouble?"

Lexi spoke up. "I don't know, but the fight with that Sneasel was a pretty tough battle. That's not a very good match up for anyone on this team, especially Sandra and I." It was true, both of them were weak to Ice, and that's one of Sneasel's STABs. I could imagine them now, putting every ounce of energy they had, struggling to defeat this adversary.

"I can imagine." I said. We continued to follow Luna along the worn and winding path. I hadn't explored much of the forest, so this trek could help me navigate it later on. Eventually, we reached a small group of houses in a clearing. And by small, I mean they were more huts than actual houses. Luna started to run to one of the houses, reaching the door. She turned and beckoned us to the house.

"Hurry up, guys!" We quickened our pace and reached the entrance. Once we got there, Luna knocked on the wooden door. Almost immediately, a figure appeared in the doorway. It was an Ursaring, a towering bear with a tan circle on its chest. The being knelt down and wrapped its arms around the cub, in a literal bear hug.

"Oh, Luna, your father and I were worried sick about you!" I could tell this was Luna's mother. She then turned to our group. "I can't thank you enough for finding her. Where was she?"

"We found her in a small cavern in Murky Cove." Lexi started. "She wasn't harmed, but was being tormented by two other Pokémon. Fortunately, we were able to defeat them and prevent any further injuries.

"Wow. It's always amazing how selfless you are, all of you, putting yourselves in harm's way just to save my little girl." The bear then faced her child, her tone changing. "And as for you, young lady, you are in deep trouble. No exploring for a month."

"WHAT!? A whole month!?"

"Don't you 'what' me! I don't want you getting yourself hurt, that's all."

"Aw, come on! You know I love exploring! Can't you cut me some slack, pleeeease?"

"...Fine. Two weeks, but you still aren't exploring anywhere until then, do you understand me?"

"Yes, mom."

"Good, now go to your room, I'll come up in a few minutes." She then realized she had this whole argument in front of our group.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot you were there."

"It's fine," Wade said. "You have a good day, ma'am." We turned and headed started walking away from the house

"Goodbye,... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your names."

"Oh, I'm Wade." He pulled Lexi next to him. "This is Lexi, the Sanshrew is Sandra, and the Zorua is Chris. We work as a team called Team Legacy under Garchomp's guild in Verdanturf Town."

"Well, thank you, Team Legacy, and goodbye." She closed the door slowly until I heard it lock shut.

I scanned the group. I watched them give each other high-fives. Then Lexi, Wade and Sandra each gave me one too. I felt involved in something, like I was contributing towards something bigger than myself. They all had smiles on their faces, and for some reason, I couldn't help but smile too. And I didn't mind it one bit.

* * *

As we were heading back to the trail, i started to think about what the rest of the day would look like. Once I started thinking about it, though, I realized there was something I had to do.

_'Shoot, I was supposed to meet with Zeke today, wasn't I? It completely slipped my mind; I was riding the high from today's mission. Good thing we're close by, or else it would be a long walk there.'_

I remembered that I had wanted to keep the meetings a secret between me and Lexi, but it would be hard to separate the other two from us. I motioned for her to come to me to me; I told her what I had remembered. We talked in a low whisper

"Crap, I forgot about that." Lexi said. "Lemme think, how can I get you there."

"Well, one things for certain, I'm starving right now." My stomach rumbled with the strength of a Rhyperior.

Suddenly, she had an idea. "That's it! Berries! I'll have the other two head back while you and I grab some berries (and get you to Crystal Lake, of course)." She then turned to Wade.

"Hey, you mind if I take the bag and have Chris and I get some berries? You guys can head on back to the guild and we'll meet up with you guys later, okay?"

Wade looked into the bag, then handed it to Lexi. "Sure, I mean, we are running low. Try and pick up some Sitrus and Lum berries, we're gonna need 'em."

Lexi hung the bag over her shoulder and started heading down the path I remembered. "C'mon Chris, follow me." Naturally, I followed her through the brush.

* * *

When we walked through the passage, we saw the familiar lake, just as transparent and still like I had saw it yesterday.

_'Was that really yesterday? I feel like it's been a week. And yet,... I don't know.' _I was shaken from my thoughts when Lexi poked me and pointed to a figure in the distance. Slumped up against a rock about 30 feet away was a black and dark grey body. Its eyes were closed and its arms across its chest. A black and red mess of hair was set besides it, almost as long as its body. Definitely a Zoroark.

"Think that's him?" Lexi inquired.

"We're about to find out. Stay quiet and follow me." I knew what I was about to do. I hadn't done something like this in a while.

"Wait what are yo-"

"Shhhhhh. Just trust me on this. It'll be hilarious." We walked slowly towards the sleeping fox. When we were right next to it, I sneaked up to one of its ears, leaned right next to it, and...

I yelled "BOO!" into its ear at the top of my lungs.

"GAAAAH!" The beast scrambled to its feet, turning itself to face me. "WAIT, WHAT? CHRIS! ARCEUS, YOU DAMN NEAR GAVE ME A FREAKIN' HEART ATTACK! Jeez!" I could tell from its voice that it was indeed the Pokémon I was looking for.

I didn't hear most of his reaction though, for I was rolling in the grass, laughing like a maniac. You could've head my laugh for miles, especially in the mostly serene setting I was in. Lexi was actually laughing pretty hard too, but nowhere close to my degree.

"Are you done?" Zeke inquired forcefully. Slowly, I was able to separate myself from the ground. Lexi helped me up.

"Yeah, I think I'm done. Whew, that was a good one, wasn't it?" I gave a quick smile, and Zeke gave a hesitant one back.

"As in 'good', you mean 'scaring the living daylights out of me', yes, it certainly was good."

"So, are we gonna get started, or what?" I asked. I was anxious to start, I didn't recall ever having time with teacher one-on-one. Then again, I barely remembered anything in the first place.

"Well, I hate to break it to ya, but your friend here can't be with us during the session. It's nothing personal, trust me, but I'd prefer there being no distractions. You get it, right?"

I gave Lexi a concerned look. She didn't seem too phased. She spoke up.

"Yeah, I expected as much. Listen, I'll be around the lake picking the berries we need, alright. Once I'm done, I'll be right at the passageway over there, got it?" I nodded, then she focused her attention to Zeke.

"How long do you think the session will take?"

Zeke pondered for a moment. He quietly mumbled to himself before giving an answer.

"Um, about a half hour, maybe an hour at most."

"Okay." Suddenly, her tone changed. A more authoritative and protective tone. She continued. "Make sure you don't get into trouble, Chris. We'll need you for upcoming missions; I don't want you getting hurt." She then turned to Zeke.

"And as for you, let me warn you now;" She pointed at me."If he has so much as a scratch on him, I swear, we're never coming back again. Do I make myself clear?"

His reply was only one word.

"Perfectly."

* * *

**Finally. I can't believe I did it, but I did. I actually updated a chapter. Sorry for the lack of updating last week. I told you guys that I'm not always the best at delivering what you guys need. I really need to do this more, because I feel like the plot is moving at a snail's pace. What do you guys think? Should I speed up the plot, or leave it as it is? Let me know in the comments. I might be able to get another update out today, but it's unlikely. Also, I'll be going to the Boston Auto Show with my brother and a couple of my friends. I'm really excited for that. But other than that, that's gonna be all for now. See you guys soon...**

**~DZ13**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys, once again. Since I have the time, I'm going to try and crank out this new chapter. I know, I kinda let you guys on a cliffhanger in the last chapter. But not to fear! Here is the continuation! Yay!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Practice Session

Once Lexi and I had parted ways, Zeke started walking away from the lake an into the deeper parts of the forest. Naturally, I followed him, though I was curious about our destination.

"Where are we going?"

"My home." Seeing that the term was pretty vague, he elaborated. "It's my house. It probably won't look like much, but it's actually pretty nice once you're inside. C'mon, kid."

_'Wow, he seems pretty trusting, I mean, he's already showing me his home.'_ I began to imagine what his house was like. _'Maybe it's actually some big, fancy house, and he's trying to make himself look humble. Now, that I think about it, disregard that. He doesn't seem like the one who would possess such a home. Or maybe I'm wrong.'_

"So when'll we get there?"

"Just a few minutes. You'll know it when you see it." There wasn't any hesitation in his answer. Then again, why would there be?

A few minutes passed. The walking feel surprisingly good, invigorating me. We walked up a rather steep hill, and once surmounting it, the fox's house came into view. Before I could give my opinion, Zeke spoke up.

"Welp, this is it." I looked upon the house, if you could even call it that. The whole structure looked lopsided, with none of the panels actually fitting together properly. It was rather weathered, with many unfixed chips and cracks. Paint seemed to flake off at random. It was a total mess. Despite this, Zeke seemed comfortable with this.

"Now, I know what you're thinking: 'Why the hell would anyone live such a mess like this?' Well, it's actually pretty stable (believe it or not), and hasn't needed any major repairs since my friends and I built it." To show this, he banged on one of the walls. Rotted wood and paint fell from it, but it somehow managed to stay upright.

"Certainly looks a little worse for wear, I'll say." I was now more apprehensive than ever. _'Okay, maybe this wasn't such a good idea, taking training from a complete stranger. should've definitely thought this through.'_

"Wanna check it out? I think you'll like it."

_'What should I do? I mean, I've come all this way and he's already take me to his house. But, he's someone I've never met before, and for all I know he could be the vilest creature of all. Argh, I'm just so conflicted. You know what? Screw it. I'll just wait until the session's over for thoughts like these.'_

I decided to let my anxious thoughts go and followed Zeke into his home.

* * *

As I walked through the door, I started to take everything in. It was actually surprisingly well furnished, with a small desk and a few chairs. There were miscellaneous pictures and drawing posted on the walls. Leaning up against one of the walls was a giant bookshelf, filled with books of all shapes, sizes and colors. I tried to read some of the bindings, but the print was too small. Apparently, I was zoning out, because Zeke interrupted my analysis.

"So, you like it or what?" He seemed very interested in my answer, for he was listening intently.

I gave him my honest opinion. "Honestly, it's actually pretty cool. I guess looks can be deceiving, can't they?"

Zeke gave nod. "From my experience, that statement couldn't be more true." He then walked over to the bookshelf and ran his hand over a few of the books. He took one and sat down on one of the chairs.

"Well, don't just stand there. Relax, get comfortable." Zeke motioned for me to sit down. "This'll be your home away from home whenever we're in session, okay"

I nodded. I took one of the chairs and sat down. It was very soft, and felt as if you would dissolve into it if you stayed long enough, Zeke started to flip through the book, then put it face down on the floor besides him.

"Alright kid, here's what I'm thinking. Before we start anything physical, we're gonna get an idea of what we're gonna do. obviously, we won't be getting anywhere if we don't have a plan. With that in mind, what do you want me to help you with?"

I thought for a moment.

"Well, what did you have in mind?" There was a pause. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to turn the question around on you."

"No, that's fine. Actually, I'm glad you asked, because I thought we'd start with the basics." He grabbed the book of the floor and placed it in front of me. I read the first words on the page.

_Pre-Chapter: Why Are You Here?_

_If you've picked up this book, it's because you want to become a great fighter or battler. If you have no interest in doing so, stop reading this right now and give it to someone else who does. Are you done? Good. If you haven't given it away, then you must think I'm stupid for thinking otherwise. _

I let out a small laugh, then continued on.

_Now, if you want to be a great fighter, you won't be successful just by following these steps. I wish it were that easy. You still need to put in physical work if you want to see the results. No one, I repeat, NO ONE has reach such levels of success without putting in work that helps them improve. with this little foreword over, let's get started._

I turned pages, only to have Zeke stop me at the first turn.

"This is what I had in mind for today." He pointed to the title of the chapter with his crimson claw.

_Chapter 1: Analyze Your Strengths and Weaknesses_

He got up, took the book away from me, and placed it back on the shelf.

"If you can't identify your strengths and weaknesses, then you'll never know what to improve on." Zeke then tapped one of his claws against the side of his head. "It's all mental, kid. Trust me, I have plenty of experience. You can't always beat brains with brawn, and vice versa, but a combination of both is unstoppable. The first thing I want to teach you is one of the most important aspects of combat: your Ability"

I had almost completely forgotten about Abilities. First off, most of my fighting had been more instinctual. Plus, I didn't really know how to activate mine. Nevertheless, I was starting to get excited. Zeke continued to explain.

"As you may know, all Pokémon have Abilities. Not like physical or mental ability, but Abilities, with a capital A. These are specific powers that can only be activated by them, and each Pokémon has a different Ability. Do you happen to know what yours and mine is?"

"Illusion, of course. It allows the user to take the form of the last Po-" I stopped myself.

_'Riiight. Of coooourse. This world is different than that world I know. That's a world where humans coexist with Pokémon, and they're captured and what not. There aren't any Trainers, no parties, no Gym Leaders here. Great, now Zeke's gonna think I'm crazy.'_

"What were you saying?"

"I was saying that we can create illusions at will, to fool enemies and what-not."

"Correct. Now, to create an illusion, it has to be convincing. Just producing one may not always be enough. Act like whatever effect you're causing has been there the whole time. You really need to concentrate." He got up and had me stand facing the center of the house.

"I want you to make an illusive berry in the middle of the floor right here. Any kind, doesn't really matter."

"So, how do I go about doing that?"

"Just imagine it sitting there." When he saw me still staring at him, he urged me on.

I didn't really know what to do. I closed my eyes and pictured the room, exactly as I had seen it. Everything is the same, except a Sitrus Berry lying on the floor, with its bulbous, yellow shape. Just sitting there. as if placed there.

I reopened my eyes. To my astonishment, the Sitrus berry appeared. I recoiled, and the berry immediately flickered away and vanished. A sigh escaped from my mouth.

"Not bad for a first attempt, I mean it looked real 'til it up and disappeared." He raised his arms. "Now...let me show you how it's done." His tone concerned me, but before I could utter a word, everything started to change. In an instant, we were outside, except it was raining. An absolute downpour. A rush of wind swept over me. Lightning flashed, followed by thunder. Trees started to uproot themselves from the howling wind. It was a storm of disastrous proportions. Zeke stood, arms still outspread, completely centered, eyes open. Watching my reaction. I was honestly scared for my life. I tried to shout, but the wind took my words away from me. I was gripped with fear, unable to move an inch. I was soaked at this point. It felt like if I dared moved a muscle, I would be thrown by the hurricane-force winds.

"STOP! I GET IT! CHANGE IT BACK!" I yelled. Zeke must have read my lips, because he lowered his arms, and then all effects stopped, and we returned to our original positions. As if nothing at all had happened. I had not a drop of water on me. I didn't know how to respond, so I said the first thing that came to me.

"That was insane!"

"Well, it took a lot of honing and training to get that proficient at casting illusions."

"That wasn't necessary!"

Zeke let out a laugh. "After that scare you gave me earlier, it most certainly was!" Suddenly, his tone changed again. It seemed more serious. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Don't scare me like that, like, ever again, got it? I've awoken to much worse, and," He seemed like he was struggling to find words. "It just, brings back bad memories for me, okay? I'd really appreciate it."

It sparked my curiosity, but I didn't dare to ask him anything about it. I didn't want to cause him any further anguish.

"Yeah, sure. I apologize, it was just so tempting that I felt like I had to do it, you know?"

"Oh trust me, I've felt like that _plently_ of times." He stood up. "Well, I think it's time for you to head off."

I was surprised, to say the least. "What?"

"Yeah, kid, feels like a good spot to end for today. I'm the one who decides when lessons end, unless there's something you need to attend to, then that's your business."

I was about to argue, but he had the authority, not me. So I followed him out of his home and back to Crystal Lake.

* * *

**THERE, IT'S DONE! Finally, after all these weeks, it's done. Sorry, once again, for delaying this thing for sooooooo long. Welp, it's over for now. I'm working on that special thing I mentioned Friday, so you shouldn't expect anything for this story for a while. I think you guys will like it, and if you don't, "oh well, I tried." Also, WINTER BREAK! YAAAAAAY! Well, anything else I wanted to say I said Friday in the update chapter, so if you want to know what's happening, go there. That's it for now, so I'll see you guys in the near future.**

**~DZ13**


	14. Update Chapter

**Hey guys. I know I haven't been on in a while. At this point, I think I'm ignoring this site. But no matter, I'll persevere. I really want to be updating all the time, but I don't have the, well, time. In fact, I might be beginning a new story soon (about Fire Emblem). This is a pretty short update, but it's something**

**On another point, There's only two days left of school before spring break, so HOPEFULLY I can get SOMETHING out by then. Farewell, and until next time...**

**~DZ13**


	15. The Double-Edged Update

**Hey guys,**

**Man, it's been a really long time since I've touched this website, let alone this story. For that, I sincerely apologize. This story has experienced a doubt for far too long. Like always, I haven't had much time to dedicate to my hobbies, writing included. Not only this, I just haven't been interested in this story. I wish that I could tell all my followers (as well as others that see this story) that I'll continue this story soon. Unfortunately, this update doesn't bear the best of news: I'm postponing, if not, finishing work on this story.**

**Yes, I'm taking any efforts from this story and putting them into aspects that need or want my attention. I'm sorry to give this news, but I just don't have the passion for this story to give it the attention that it requires, or the effort that a more dedicated Pokémon fan would give it. So, in terms of this story, I'm afraid the curtain has closed. There is some light left, because though I may be through with this story, I can't say the same thing for YOU. If my wording seems cryptic, I'm saying that I'm allowing all my followers to adjust the story as they so choose, in their own different writing styles. If you do decide to burden yourself with this task, I will say that you should give me credit where credit is due. Also, if you decide to share this story with me (which you can do by posting a link to either your profile or the modified story in the review section,) I would like to be notified of any rating changes, so I can know what I'm getting myself into.**

**But, do not fear, followers and visitors. The curtain now opens upon a new scene, a new adventure. This adventure will still consist of integral characters, plot, and humor that I (hopefully) provided in the world of Pokémon. A land where future and fantasy collide in an ever-challenging world with the constant threat of evil looming around every corner. If you didn't already guess, the new story will take place in the mystical world of: RWBY.**

**I started watching the series last summer, in whatever free time I had between summer work and cross country captain's practices. I had heard of the series before, and went into the series completely blind. I was intrigued by both the concept and animation style, as well as the weapons. By the end of the first Volume, I was hooked, and somehow had roped my brother into the series as well. While watching, I learned somewhere that the ever-talented vocalist, Casey Lee Williams goes to my high school (She's a senior now, if you were wondering.) This amplified my appreciation for the series even more, eventually to the present. **

**Sorry if that was a bit lengthy, guys. In conclusion, I'm somewhat sad that I can't continue the Pokémon story as I had originally planned. But knowing what I have planned for my current followers, (and hopefully some that I gain through this venture) I'm once again excited to start writing. Hopefully, either the first chapter or prologue will be up by the end of tomorrow. **

**See you guys then,**

**~DZ13**


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